Wait! Not so Fast! Don’t cut those trees! They are important to our water supply!

Native oak woodlands and forests are critically important to our groundwater levels and surface runoff, and never more so than now in this time of changing climate. Being the most biodiverse ecosystem in California, oak woodlands provide abundant habitat for native plants and animals, including hollows in trees and snags from fire. The greater the biodiversity of an ecosystem, the greater its chances of surviving the increasingly frequent challenges of drought, flooding, and warming temperatures.Forest experts say our native oak woodlands and forests are made for fire and often will recover. Fire thins and cleans the forest floor, reducing disease and making minerals available. Although trees’ bark may be blackened and their leaves burned, many will sprout new leaves over this winter and spring.

However, PG&E has started cutting damaged trees without fully evaluating their potential for recovery. Of course, hazardous trees along roads or near structures need to be removed, but many of these trees are only scorched and will remain strong and healthy. Napa County Resource Conservation District has guidelines to help your land recover. Visit their site here. Trees slated to be removed by PG&E are marked with green. (The County has marked trees with red that they plan to cut.) Contact your county supervisor to insist scientific guidelines are followed by the county and by PG&E. Protect our forests and oak woodlands. Protect our water supply.

Diane Beere

says on:

November 15, 2017 at 2:33 am

It is tree hugger time. We need protestors up in the trees. That is not a hyperbolic statement, it is a matter of fact those
trees that can recover need protection from those who would cut them down.
“We need Protestors to protect the trees” so they can protect our Agriculture Watershed. Any volunteers!

carl bunch

says on:

November 15, 2017 at 4:59 pm

Don’t panic! Many of the trees will survive and should be left alone, at least until next Spring (when it may be clear that they have been killed by the firestorms. Best to keep an eye on the County and P.G.& E, ATT, etc.

Patricia Damery

Ashley Hall

says on:

November 15, 2017 at 7:51 pm

I see that they marked redwood trees to be cut down. Redwood trees are fire resistant. PG&E must have an arborist determine the health of the tree before cutting them. Redwood trees live through all kinds of fires and disasters. I can’t imagine they would murder trees, but then again they just do whatever is easy.

Patricia Damery

says on:

December 5, 2017 at 1:15 am

Thank you for responding! PG&E is hiring out of state treecutters who know little about the resilience of redwoods. It is critically important you contact your supervisor and ask for his or her intervention.

grete orsoe

says on:

November 18, 2017 at 11:46 pm

Please please do not remove trees with out a thorough evaluation from expert tree authorities as to whether or not they will survive the hardships of the recent fires. We must do everything we possibly can to safeguard the natural environment of the Napa Valley! Please be careful you do not further the devastation of this valley by needlessly removing trees that will naturally return if left to nature!

Contact Us

Napa Vision 2050

About Us

Established in January 2015 by neighbors from throughout the county to protect the quality of life for Napa County’s citizens and the rich biodiversity of our natural environment, known as ‘The Commons’. We joined together to confront the challenges of inappropriate development in the Agricultural Preserve, the Agricultural Watershed and in our cities and towns